Cathy K Web and Design
cathyk web and design
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About the process

 

The fine print

I’m excited about this, too! The first step is to hit me up on my Contact form.

If you think that my services look promising, please fill out the form and send your contact information and an explanation of the website or project you have in mind, or feel free to just ask a question.

Our first communication will be to determine if I’m the right candidate for your project. I am a one-person operation so I’m careful to accept projects that are manageable and that I have the resources to complete on time.

A flower photo by CathyIf our goals and schedules align, we can then discuss your project in more detail. So far, all of my clients have been local to the San Diego area and I’ve met all of them in person. If you’re fortunate enough to reside here too, great! We can talk in person too. If you’re located outside of my area then we may still be able to work on a website together through email, phone, and snail-mail.

How much is this going to cost???

How much is this going to cost???

The burning question
The burning question

My charge for a basic, informational “brochure” website currently starts at $1000, the base price for a template design and content layout. I require a 50% deposit to get started, and the final 50% is due prior to launching the final website.

This base price includes:

  • A fully responsive template design, which means your website will be carefully formatted for use on computer screens, smartphones, tablets, and other web-enabled devices.
  • The layout and input of your simple content into your website: basic text and graphics that you provide in a clearly written format will not normally require additional design fees to add to your page(s).
  • A single-page website design, or multiple page design at no extra charge*
  • A simple contact form (name, email, phone, message fields)

I charge on a per-project basis, adding extra charges for any special features that you may require. My simple pricing structure gives me the flexibility and freedom to experiment until I’m happy with my results and feel confident to present the website to my client.

Please note:  To get a complete, custom-designed website at my base price, please be sure to plan out and provide all the content of the website at the beginning of the design process.

The best way to save money and avoid extra hourly charges is to have all your content ready for me when I begin designing. More on this later.

 

How long will it take?

Although my schedule depends on my other current commitments, I attempt to have my initial design to show you in about three weeks. This estimate may also be affected by the complexity of your content, client changes, and extra features required.

My charge for a basic, informational “brochure” website currently starts at $1000, the base price for a template design and content layout. I require a 50% deposit to get started, and the final 50% is due prior to launching the final website.

This base price includes:

  • A fully responsive template design, which means your website will be carefully formatted for use on computer screens, smartphones, tablets, and other web-enabled devices.
  • The layout and input of your simple content into your website: basic text and graphics that you provide in a clearly written format will not normally require additional design fees to add to your page(s).
  • A single-page website design, or multiple page design at no extra charge*
  • A simple contact form (name, email, phone, message fields)

I charge on a per-project basis, adding extra charges for any special features that you may require. My simple pricing structure gives me the flexibility and freedom to experiment until I’m happy with my results and feel confident to present the website to my client.

Please note:  To get a complete, custom-designed website at my base price, please be sure to plan out and provide all the content of the website at the beginning of the design process.

The best way to save money and avoid extra hourly charges is to have all your content ready for me when I begin designing. More on this later.

 

How long will it take?

Although my schedule depends on my other current commitments, I attempt to have my initial design to show you in about three weeks. This estimate may also be affected by the complexity of your content, client changes, and extra features required.

Special website features

Adding some more complex functionality

Features such as galleries, specialized contact forms, online stores, etc., are charged separately and will vary depending on the complexity and volume of entries (photos, fields, items sold, etc.).

My emphasis is on front-end design and although I’ve learned quite a bit about the technology that makes websites tick, I do not claim to be a coder. There’s an abundance of professionally-coded plugins available that can extend a website’s capabilities and can be implemented by a designer with my skill level. Providing we can find a ready-made solution for your requirements, we’re in business!

Many plugins are fee-based and sometimes require a yearly subscription. These charges will be passed along to you, either through a monthly maintenance fee or charged to you as required by the plugin developer.

Future revisions and additions to your website

If you require any revisions or additions to your website after its initial completion, I’m happy to do the work at my prevailing hourly rate. If you anticipate having frequent updates, we can work out a maintenance plan charged monthly.

Hosting services

I operate my own web server which is professionally maintained by a leading web services provider. My fees for hosting and maintenance start at $15 per month and are based on the features of your website. Some web-publishing technologies and plugins that provide extra functionality require regular updates and closer oversight. I will determine the monthly charge once we establish your requirements and the anticipated upkeep.

If you have web hosting services of your own, I can install your new website on your web server. Please be prepared to grant me access to the server, usually by providing the server address, a log-in username, and the password. The maintenance of a website on your web server would generally be your responsibility, although updates, revisions, and additions can be arranged at my prevailing hourly rate, or with a recurring maintenance fee.

Domain names

I can procure a domain name for you if you haven’t already purchased one. To search for an available domain name, I recommend searching at https://lookup.icann.org/. (This organization does not sell domains but oversees the Domain Name System.)

If you have already purchased a domain name, the DNS settings may need to be modified at the domain registrar’s website. If this is indeed necessary, then login access to the registrar account will be needed, and either you can make the necessary changes or I can do it for you.

My worksheet

My worksheet

A deep dive into your brain
A deep dive into your brain

The web design worksheet*

I’ve put together a web design worksheet to gather information about you and your website project, and I’ll email it as the next step in the process. The worksheet covers more in-depth information about your business: your products and services, history, team, competitors, customers, and the main message you want your website visitors to take away. It’s also designed to help you describe your design vision — the look and feel you’d like for your website.
Website worksheet

*You are not required to fill in the entire worksheet. I would like to discover what you have in mind for your website, and the form may help you describe your design preferences. Some of my clients are happy to leave most design decisions to me, and that’s fine too.

The web design worksheet*

I’ve put together a web design worksheet to gather information about you and your website project, and I’ll email it as the next step in the process. The worksheet covers more in-depth information about your business: your products and services, history, team, competitors, customers, and the main message you want your website visitors to take away. It’s also designed to help you describe your design vision — the look and feel you’d like for your website.
Website worksheet

*You are not required to fill in the entire worksheet. I would like to discover what you have in mind for your website, and the form may help you describe your design preferences. Some of my clients are happy to leave most design decisions to me, and that’s fine too.

Your content

If we’re ready to start your project, just gather up the all information you’d like on your website and give it to me. 🙂

I strongly encourage you to prepare all your website content and submit it to me before I start designing. The design process works most efficiently when I have all your content at the beginning of the project.

The design and layout of your content provided to me before I start your website design is included in your original project quote. Any content added later in the project will be subject to additional charges at my prevailing hourly rate.

Rest assured that you’ll have the opportunity to request minor corrections, additions, and changes to your content during the process. Two rounds of revisions are generally sufficient for you to provide feedback, find errors, and request minor revisions.

If changes are requested that significantly alter the work completed or add new functionality, there will be additional charges at my prevailing hourly rate.

 

How to prepare your content

I’ll accept your content in nearly any format. My first choice would be to receive an electronic document so that I can cut and paste your text directly into my editing software. If you can email me your information in some sort of text or Word document, I’ll be delighted!

However, I’m a reasonably fast typist so clearly-written or printed text will work, too. Brochures or other marketing collateral pieces are great sources of content, and I’d be happy to transfer that information onto your website. I’ll also copy information from some other online site like Facebook or LinkedIn. As long as you can organize the information into logical sections that I can understand, I can use it.

For photographs and other graphics, electronic formats are preferred, but I can scan prints if necessary, and I also have access to a film scanner if you need to dig into the archives. If you have graphics that are less than perfect, I may be able to clean them up or recreate them for an additional charge.

Please note that I will be unable to publish any copyrighted materials onto your website without permission from the creator. No lawyer-bait please.

 

Some additional thoughts

If you have writer’s block and need a nudge getting started, I recommend sketching out a diagram or outline defining your basic sections, and then add details from there.

  • Common section headings are:
    • Home or welcome page
    • Products and / or services
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Gallery / Portfolio
    • Testimonials
    • Or any other section that fits your business

My web design worksheet helps me gather information about your business and the categories you would like to cover. Or you can just indicate various sections when you provide your content.

 

Graphics considerations

Photos and graphics can add interest, energy and offer a break from dry text. Above all, high-quality photography can give your website a more professional look, and it may be well worth the expense to hire a professional photographer to take photos of your operation. Your professional photos can be used for other marketing materials in the future.

I can't believe you've made it this far!

You’re obviously a glutton for punishment, but I’m happy you’re looking through all the information on my website.

As a last tidbit, I thought I’d include some “cards” on my website – those little blurbs in rectangular areas with a little graphic in each. They seem to be all the rage. I’ve used some below to summarize my primary skills.

My Services

Web design

I know how! If you’ve been paying attention to web design trends, you’ll notice that tons of websites have a row of these little boxes somewhere, with little blurbs of information and a small graphic of some sort. These are called ‘cards’ and I can do them if you’d like. Just be sure to think of three little blurbs. You can also have four if you want to.

Photo retouching

I’ve used Photoshop nearly every day for decades! I can’t look at an problematic photo without fixing it! I can’t. I’ve tried. There’s hardly a photograph taken, even by the most skilled and talented photographer, that can’t be improved by throwing a little Photoshop at it. The purists may disagree, but I’m not one of those. What is the opposite of a purist? That’s what I am.

Graphic design

So, I’m not schooled in graphic design but sometimes I just do it anyway. I created all the graphics on this website and lots of other ones I’ve worked on. Sometimes you need a team of topnotch graphic designers for the launch of your multi-million dollar ad campaign. Sometimes you don’t. I may be able to help at those times.

“Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” ― Warren Buffett